Panama Elida Natural Catuai
My Friend's Coffee
Sweet Tarts, Darjeeling Tea, Peach
The Elida Estate is widely regarded as one of the best producers in the world. It's won the Best of Panama competition multiple times, and its coffees regularly set, then beat their own price records. The farm is best known for its Geishas, Green Tip in particular, but this Natural Catuai has become a cult hit for a couple of reasons. First, it allows commoners with coffee budgets that don't quite reach 6k per pound—yes, they have really sold coffee for that much—to experience an Elida brew, and second, it's just really really good.
This is a sharp coffee. It's got a piquant vibe, and it's juicy enough for velour sweats. Sweet Tarts is the headliner with Darjeeling supporting, but the magic here is the way these discordant notes mingle. There's also some Peach in this guy, but the note is more of an adornment than a feature. When you put it together, what you get—and it's really something to marvel at—is profound balance. That's the beauty of this coffee: the way it manages to be piquant, juicy, tannic, and yet, somehow, wonderfully balanced.
Process - Natural (Dry) Process
- Farm - Elida Estate
- Region - Alto Quiel
- Altitude - 1700 - 1900 meters
- Varietal - Catuai
Recommended For:
- Pour Over
- Aeropress
- Drip Machine
- Espresso
- French Press